Thrift store clothes amaze me.
Even after all these years of shopping second hand, I’m still thrilled when I find quality clothing for very little moolah. And even better, they don’t even have to fit when you know how to alter and refashion.
All it takes is an eye for possibilities.
Take this thrift store sweater and shirt for example:
The shirt was stained and the sweater was too big. Each cost fifty cents on half price day at my local thrift store. YAY!
The sweater was a quality brand and I loved the colors together. Perfect for a cardigan with plaid elbow patches.
I wanted to keep the existing raglan sleeves so I took it in using the existing seams. Just pin, sew and trim to fit. I also took in the side seams the same way.
Pullover sweaters don’t do too much to flatter me, so I decided to make this into a cardigan using the red plaid shirt for trim and elbow patches.
Then, since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, I thought a plaid heart elbow patch would be fun.
And there you are, a new sweater just in time for Valentine’s Day!
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The Renegade Seamstress 
Sweet! What a steal Beth. Fifty cents? You definitely have that eye. Another great refashion my friend!
Thanks so much!! Yes, I’m so spoiled by my local thrift shop! I love fifty cent Wednesday!
Beth
You are so talented! Being able to see the completed outfit in your mind is a real talent. Really cute!
Oh, Debbi, thanks so much for your sweet comments!
So cute….you are so talented and you must have a great thrift store to shop at, plus a very creative eye.
Thanks, Deann! I’m so lucky to have my local thrift store. I’m always telling the owner, I’d be lost without her shop!
Have a great week!
Beth
Ahh, this is totally adorable! Great use of a thrift store find, especially with the cute elbow patches. : )
Thanks, Carolyn! I’m lovin’ the elbow patches these days. 🙂
Beth
What a wonderful idea and this one is simple enough that a lot of us could easily tackle it! I love cardigan’s! This is going in my file to do later!
Thanks, Tracey! It is a pretty straightforward easy refashion that anyone can do.
Happy sewing!
Beth
As always; great post. I’m just curious tho’; what kind of thread and stitch do you use when refashioning a sweater?
Thanks, Sandra. I just use regular thread and a regular machine stitch. Seems to work fine.
I love what you have done to this sweater!! So creative!!
Have a wonderful day!!
Nonny
http://www.notionsfromnonny.blogspot.com
Loving the elbow patch! It’s so creative how you turned a sweater into a cozy cardigan for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU for your nice comments!
Love this one!
Thanks, Barb! I debated whether or not to do an oval patch or a heart. But then I saw my Kindergartener’s faces and the heart won out. 🙂
Cute re-fashion! Now I need to go visit the local thrift store! Valentines Day is just around the corner… also the day after is my daughter’s birthday! She would love this idea! Just need to not make it hearts… she has this thing about getting Valentine’s Day stuff for her birthday! LoL…but, there is always… St. Patrick’s Day! Green… that’s a good color! LoL…
Thanks, Jean! The patches would be just as cute as an oval. I debated back and forth between a heart and an oval, but when I imagined my kindergartener’s faces, the heart won out. Happy Sewing!
Beth
That is so casually cute! I really love that sweater and what you did with it.
Thanks, Kelli! It’s been so cold here lately, I need loads of sweaters. Thought this would be a fun one for February.
Have a great week!
Beth
I especially like this remake! Just wondering, did the knit unravel much when you trimmed the seams and cut up the centre?
No, I was surprised at how unraveling wasn’t a problem at all.
Love this!!! You are always an inspiration and I try and visit you on youtube whenever I can 🙂
Thank you so much!!
You have lovely ideas and execution. Thanks for sharing! I love thrifting, but you have better prices than we have around here. Much better!
Thanks, MJ. I’m very fortunate to have my local thrift store. I always tell the owner that I’d be lost without her. Happy Thrifting!
Beth
Sew cute! 🙂
Love the new look.
Cheers,
Laura
Thank you, Laura!
definitely going to try this
Oh good! I’d love to see pictures of your sweater!
Sew (pun intended) creative. You really have a talent!
Paula
Thanks, Paula! Just doin’ what I love!! 🙂
I really like the fabric strip used as a facing in the front of the sweater … storing that bit away in my head for future 🙂 I loved it when my children’s elementary teachers got in the spirit of special occasions like you are doing.
Thanks, Jo! The beauty of teaching kindergarten, they always like my outfits!! 🙂
Love the way the red plaid looks with the bulky knit. How perfect to find a sweater with 2 off-center cables with space to cut in between. Thanks for another great idea!
Thank you! I was hoping the sweater would work for this and I was pleasantly surprised. Have a great week!
Beth
Really like this! and the patch is just too cute 🙂 ahh all the ideas you have…!
Thanks! Thought my students might like the heart patch. 🙂
This is so cool. I am excited to try some of the ideas I have been seeing.
I’m so glad you want to try some of these. I’d love to see what you make!
Beth
I have just commented on the Refashion Co-op (and thank you for sharing there too) but I just wanted to add that this is also a great tutorial. I will share it on my Facebook page as well.
Eddie
Thank you so much, Eddie!!! Happy sewing!
Beth
I wan’na try something like this. Great job.
Oh, I hope you do. Easy and fun. So many possibilities….
Enjoy your Saturday!!
Beth
Love the contrast trim inside the front. Your closet must be amazing! 🙂
Thanks, Staci! Now I just need a bigger closet. 🙂
As always, inspirational!
Thanks so much!!!
Your finished product is so wonderful! I’ve been saving a sweater and now have a model to use to do it. Thanks for the idea and inspiration!
Thanks, Sharon! Glad to share!
Happy sewing,
Beth
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Found your blog through pinterest tonight! Loving it! I just got a sewing machine for christmas and I’m really eager to update my wardrobe using it. I will definitely be trying to do something simular to this sweater!
I’m so glad to connect with you! I’d love to see what you make.
Happy Sewing!
Beth
I adore this! Man oh man. I must learn to sew.
Yes, you hang out in the right places to find some things to refashion! If you learn to sew, you could rule the world! 🙂
Beth
I have had trouble with cotton sweaters stretching when I sew them into a new item. Do you have any hints on how to prevent this? I love your creative ways to recycle and want to try them.
I know what you mean about the stretching. When I was making mittens, I had that problem with the cotton sweaters, too. If I were to do it again, I would iron on some fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the sweater. Selection of the right fabric is an important part of the refashioning process, that’s for sure. 🙂
Happy Sewing!
Beth
A while back you recommended using iron on interfacing to prevent the parts of a cotton sweater from unraveling as you are recycling it for use in a project. A recent project involved cutting apart a fisherman’s knit sweater and making it into a pillow. The interfacing worked perfectly. Thank you!
Oh, I’m so glad that worked for you!!!
WOW!!!! Im just learning to sew .. took a beginners class .. I cant wait til I have the confidence to do things like this .. I love it!
Hi Jess,
If you’re willing to take some chances and expect a few failures along the way, I recommend just jumping in and trying a few things…..don’t wait til you think you might be ready….you might just surprise yourself and create something wonderful now.
Happy sewing!
Beth
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Hi, I love your blog and hope to do some of these things very soon with things I don’t love in my closet and things found at the thrift store! I have a question about sewing on the sweater material – does the stitching look funny on the front of the sweater after sewing the contrasting fabric on the inside edge? Looks like it would look weird on top of the sweater – like it didn’t belong. Does it sink in and not show much? Thanks for letting me ask questions!
Teri
Hi Teri,
Thanks for your visit! I’d love to see some of the things you make! As far as the stitching goes, on this sweater, it just sank in and wasn’t noticeable at all. Let me know if you have any other questions. I’ll be happy to try and answer them! Happy sewing!
Beth
Loved your sweater upcycle!!! Did you do stay-stitching on the sweater before you cut it to prevent raveling?
Regina D
NC
Thanks, Regina!
I didn’t do any stay stitching for this sweater. It stayed together just fine while I added the facings.
Beth
that looks like a lovely idea. winter is coming (soon). thank you for this great tutorial
http://www.kleinekleinigkeiten.wordpress.com
You are so welcome, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I’m so glad I subscribed to updates on this post. My daughter and I went shopping at Goodwill yesterday and she picked out a couple of men’s sweaters that “we” plan to restyle (refashion). Perfect timing to re-read this post for pointers. Since we live in South Central Texas, I think we have some time. And we plan to take pictures and post about it on my blog. Beth you are such an inspiration and when I grow up… lol, I want to be just like you. Hehehe…
Hey Blondie!!
Have fun with these sweaters. Super easy to do and they all turn out so different.
Love being a “role model”. 🙂
Beth
Awesome! Now I’ll be watching my thrift stores for materials to make my own! 😉
YAY! Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
My goodness you are crazy talented and inspiring! Happy to chance upon your darling blog!
Thanks so much, Lisa!!
Great idea. I’m curious too about the stitches showing up on the outside of the sweater. Also, maybe I’m not understanding your instructions, but if you make a line of stitching to sew on the contrast fabric closest to the opening, then you sew “around all four edges”, aren’t you going to have two lines of sewing closest to the opening, one on top of the other? Wouldn’t you need to make sure the second line in right on top of the first in order that it didn’t look messy?
Hi Gloria. Thanks for your good question. When you sew the first seam, right sides are together. When you fold the lining piece over so wrong sides are together, the stitching becomes invisible, it is now the seam. When you sew “around all four edges”, it is topstitching. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions.
Beth
Megusta es una forma facil de camviar una prenda que no te gusta,es fantastico.
¡Muchas gracias!
what a great idea and such a good tutorial…I was looking around what really to do and so I found You by linking through pinterest…THANK YOU for sharing it! Ines
Happy Refashioning, Ines! Thanks for your nice comment!
Great idea . Now I know what to do with all the turtlenecks I can t wear. They are always too hot!
Have fun, Elaine!
So, so cute and clever!!!
Thanks Marianne!
I just discovered your page, it is awesome! One question. When you cut the sweater up the middle, how do you keep the cut from fraying and unraveling?
Thank you, Santia! This sweater just happened to be slightly felted so it won’t fray. But if the sweater you choose isn’t felted, you can finish the edges like this:
https://chicenvelopements.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/my-first-tutorial/
or this:
https://chicenvelopements.wordpress.com/2014/02/19/today-is-national-wear-your-cardigan-day/
Have fun!
Hi! I just found you and I love he things you have done. Congratulations on the book!!! I have a question about this project. When you took in the seams for fitting, did you trim them afterward?
Thanks. GO
Thanks so much! Yes, I did trim the seams to get rid of some of the bulk.
LOOOOve it. Cant wait to try this.
I am just wondering, when you cut the pullover in the center up, don’t the threads of wool come out. How to tackle this?
Regards,
Rashmi
Hi Rashmi,
No, the facing strip of fabric stops any fraying.
Beth
Thanks so much. Thanks for this idea. I am going to try this out and will let you know….
Rashmi
Thank you so much, Rashmi! I hope it worked for you!
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Incredible ideas!!my husband’s sweaters are waiting for me👍
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You are creative and awesome! Thank you for sharing!
You are so very welcome, Lois! Thank YOU for your kind words!
Nice!
Beautiful! Fabulous idea!
Thanks so much!!!
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I love, love love the cardigan sweater idea. I cant wait to try it. Great idea, great work. Thank you!! The plaid is perfect w that style of sweater.
Thank you Karhy, Please let me know if you have any questions when you make your cardigan. Happy Sewing! Beth
Size is M to an S??!!! It looks more like you increased the size, yes? Confused about the up-cycling 😦
I make aprons, children shorts/pants, pillow cases and other crafts from pleated skirts, biggest shirts I find in new or in good condition fabrics. Instead of buying fabric and I save the zippers and buttons. Things are cheaper at the flea markets. We have several big ones close by. This tip is not craft’s related but is very useful. Wrap the cilantro or parsley in aluminum foil in the fridge and it.stays.fresh longer.
Hi, I still can not get my $40
sewing machine to stich. Is there something I am doing wrong. Help me out; please!!!! Beth
Hi Elizabeth, there are many reasons a machine won’t stitch so it’s hard to assess the problem without seeing your machine. But I’ll give you a couple of easy things to try that might work. 1. Be sure that your machine is threaded correctly. 2. Try a new needle. One made for the type of fabric you’re using. 3. Check yo make sure your bobbin is made for your machine. Hope this helps.
Your sweater looks gorgeous. How did you sew it so that the stitching for the facing doesn’t show on the front of the sweater?
Thank you Helen! I just sewed a regular seam. If you look very close you can see the stitching but it blended into the sweater and became almost invisible.
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Thank you for the best tutorial I have seen so far..my daughter got 3 sweaters from my father she wanted me 2 feminize for her.I love the red plaid you used..thank you again
Thank you for your nice comment Sheryl! I’d love to see your projects when you finish. 🙂 Happy New Year!
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I would love for someone to make me one of these. Maybe even a cardigan duster length. I have materials but have no sewing machine to even try. I’m a size 18-20. If someone would have mercy on me. It’s very cold in northeast tn right now.
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